North Korea's highest court has sentenced a Canadian pastor to life in prison with hard labor for what it called crimes against the state.

Hyeon Soo Lim had been detained earlier this year while on what his church said was a humanitarian mission to a nursing home and orphanage that he had established in North Korea.

The South Korean-born Lim is in his 60s and is the head pastor at the Light Korean Presbyterian Church in Toronto.

He appeared on North Korean state television in July and confessed to crimes against the state. Other foreigners who have been detained in North Korea and later released have said they were forced to make similar statements.